Berklee Celebrates Annual BMI Day with Acclaimed Composer Alan Silvestri
Left to right: Berklee Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs David Bogen; BMI Senior Director of Creative, Film, TV, and Visual Media Reema Iqbal; student award winner April DiDomenico; composer Alan Silvestri; Screen Scoring Assistant Chair Esin Aydingoz; and Screen Scoring Chair Sean McMahon
Image by Elizabeth Friar
Acclaimed composer Alan Silvestri ’70 leads a film scoring session with Berklee students for the college's annual BMI Day.
Image by Elizabeth Friar
Grammy and Emmy Award–winning composer Alan Silvestri ’70 (Marvel’s Avengers, Back to the Future) and Reema Iqbal, senior director of creative for film, TV, and visual media at BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.), visited Berklee on Monday, November 7, to commemorate the college’s annual BMI Day. At the event, Silvestri and Iqbal copresented this year’s BMI Film Scoring Scholarship to student composer April DiDomenico. Silvestri also participated in a special screen scoring session and lecture for Berklee students as part of the day’s festivities.
"The Screen Scoring Department's relationship with BMI is one of the most important external relationships we have, and BMI Day is always a highlight for our department on campus,” said Sean McMahon, department chair. “We are so grateful for all that BMI has done for Berklee’s screen scoring students for almost 25 years and are honored by Reema and Alan’s presence on campus to present the annual BMI award to April DiDomenico, a promising, up-and-coming composer.”
The first BMI Film Scoring Scholarship was presented in 1998 by composer Michael Kamen. It is awarded each year to a student selected by the Screen Scoring Department based on the student’s musical ability, financial need, and potential for career success.
“It has been a privilege to witness Berklee’s Screen Scoring Department’s commitment to educating aspiring film and TV composers over the years,” said Iqbal. “BMI is proud to continue supporting their efforts through the 24th annual BMI Day at Berklee. I’m thrilled to present this year’s scholarship to a deserving and bright young talent, April DiDomenico, alongside renowned composer and Berklee alumnus Alan Silvestri.”
About April DiDomenico
Born in Derry, New Hampshire, April DiDomenico has worked as a composer, conductor, copyist, librarian, orchestra manager, and performer. She has worked on numerous projects as a copyist, including as head librarian with the Berklee Motion Picture Orchestra; managed the orchestral and copyist work for a Berklee Alumni Affairs event with alumna and composer Pinar Toprak B.M. ’00; and recently finished proofreading for Danny Elfman’s Hollywood Bowl performance. Her inspiration has continued to flourish from being influenced by composers such as Michael Giacchino, Alexandre Desplat, James Newton Howard, Harry Gregson-Williams, Alan Silvestri, and John Williams. In her personal life, her inspiration comes from her friends and family, especially her mother and father, who have given her a strong work ethic and inspired her to follow her passions wholeheartedly.
“I am so incredibly grateful to be the recipient of the BMI award this year and all the opportunities that come with it,” said DiDomenico. “Thank you to my family, friends, and teachers who have helped me along the way—your support and teachings have meant the world to me. With this award, I am excited to pursue working with film and media scoring through orchestration, copyist and music preparation, conducting, and composition work.”
About Alan Silvestri
A Berklee alumnus who has had a prolific, decades-long career as a composer, Alan Silvestri has blazed an innovative trail with his exciting and melodic scores, winning the applause of Hollywood and movie audiences the world over. With a credit list of over 100 films, Silvestri has composed some of the most recognizable and beloved themes in movie history. His efforts have been recognized with two Oscar nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, two Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and numerous International Film Music Critics Awards, Saturn Awards, and Hollywood Music in Media Awards.
Silvestri has been associated with the director Robert Zemeckis since 1984, composing music for all of his feature films including the Back to the Future film series, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, and The Polar Express. He has also composed for other popular movies, including Predator, Father of the Bride, The Bodyguard, Stuart Little, Lilo & Stitch, Night at the Museum, Ready Player One, and several Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including the globally acclaimed Avengers series.
